Into the Woods
by Ellex
Summary: COMPLETE! A seemingly routine offworld mission leads to trouble, and McKay just might be able to save the day.
1. Never Can Tell What Lies Ahead

Title: Into the Woods

Author: Ellex

Rated :PG-13

Feedback: Please.

Archive: Sure.

Disclaimer: Not mine. Haven't you figured that out yet?

A/N: Thanks to everyone for the FB and concrit. It helped so much. I haven't completely rewritten this, just tweaked it a bit, but you should still read it from the beginning.

Warning: Sequel to "Getting to Know You". Read it first!

Chapter One: Never Can Tell What Lies Ahead

John Sheppard always tried to be ready for anything every time he stepped through the Stargate, but today seemed to have caught him completely by surprise.

As he sprinted through the forest, trying to keep his footing on the slick carpet of dead leaves, he could hear Rodney panting harshly ahead of him, and an occasional breathless gasp from Serena, who was being supported – or more like dragged along – by Rodney. He couldn't hear Teyla up ahead at all, but that was normal. The flash of her bright copper hair reassured him that the Athosian woman was still leading their frantic race back to the Stargate.

The forest seemed brighter up ahead. They had nearly reached the small clearing in the huge old growth forest that held the 'gate. He began to mouth a thanks to any deity that might be watching over them so far from home, but the words died on his lips as he broke through the edge of the clearing. He almost ran into Rodney and Serena, who had stopped abruptly.

The Stargate was blocked a group of Wraith. They were trapped.

Earlier…

Sheppard's team gathered in front of the Stargate, performing their usual last minute checks of equipment. They were going through on foot this time – the MALP indicated that the forest grew so close to the gate that there wasn't enough clearance to take a Puddle Jumper through.

They were also minus one team member. Ford was still under orders from Dr. Beckett to stay off his broken ankle as much as possible. The young Lieutenant was prepared to be patient since he had been forced to wear the cast an extra three weeks. This time he wasn't going to prolong his recovery by putting too much strain on the broken bone before it was completely healed, especially since the cast had finally come off just the day before.

Taking his place temporarily was Serena Perry, the Expedition team's resident machinist. Although she had a doctorate, unlike most of the scientists she refused to be addressed by that title. Sheppard had been impressed by McKay's opinion of her and his own observations.

He watched as McKay helped her adjust her pack. They were grinning and joking around – unusual behavior for the normally pessimistic McKay, who seemed to enjoy predicting that every mission would end badly.

"Do you have your epinephrine? Chocolate bar? When did you last eat?" The machinist fussed over McKay like a mother hen.

He frowned down at her but she was undaunted. "I know how you get, Bear. You get excited and distracted and forget to eat, and your blood sugar drops…"

"I don't forget anymore, Serena. I had a couple of close calls working at Area 51, and I take much better care of myself now. Believe me. And you aren't my – " Rodney noticed Sheppard watching the interchange and cut himself off. "And don't call me Bear!"

Serena was unrepentant. "Of course not…Bear."

He relented and smiled down at her as she brushed dark brown hair away from her ear and adjusted her radio.

John found himself wishing that smile would be directed at him. It was a smile with history behind it, and trust. He'd never seen McKay this relaxed before a mission. Rodney had told John that he and Serena were close – "good friends", he'd said – but this seemed like more than that.

John's earlier actions had negated any chance of becoming even "good friends" with McKay. First he'd kissed the man, then had threatened him with violence if he ever spoke of the incident. Rodney's response had been to tell John that as far as he was concerned, nothing had happened.

True to his word, Rodney had acted as though nothing had happened. Except that their good-natured snarking had vanished into polite professionalism.

He tried to push it out of his mind as the gate whooshed open and Weir gave them the go-ahead.

TBC

A/N: The title of this story, the chapter titles, and the song Serena and Rodney were singing are all from the Broadway musical "Into the Woods", music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.


	2. The Way is Clear, the Light is Good

Into the Woods

Chapter Two: The Way is Clear, the Light is Good

The old growth forest was heavy with conifers climbing the sides of deep valleys, enormous boulders thrusting out of the ground, mist rising from the trees in the late morning sunlight. The clearing around the Stargate was choked with weeds and young saplings, the DHD covered in vines. There was no sign that any sentient life had been near the place in years.

Rodney checked his equipment and pointed them in the direction of the power source initially detected by the MALP. As they passed into the twilight world under the trees, Serena began to sing softly.

"Into the woods, it's time to go, I hate to leave, I have to, though. Into the woods, it's time, and so, I must begin my journey…"

To John and Teyla's utter shock, Rodney picked up the song. "Into the woods and down the dell, the path is straight, I know it well. Into the woods, and who can tell what's waiting on the journey…" He had a surprisingly light and tuneful tenor voice.

Seeing Sheppard and Teyla staring at him, Rodney colored and looked away. "You're a bad influence, Serena," he muttered.

"Sorry, Bear," she replied with utter lack of sincerity.

"Tell me, Serena, what was the song you and Doctor McKay were singing?" Teyla asked, and they spent the next hour trying to explain Broadway musicals before the conversation wound down.

The forest was utterly silent, and it put Sheppard's nerves on edge. There was no birdsong, no chirping insects, nothing but the low sigh of the wind through the tree branches. He kept thinking he almost heard something, and after a while realized it was Serena, who was still singing quietly.

This was what Zelenka had complained about. She was singing that same song over and over, and it began to echo in his mind until all he could think about and all he could hear was the song. If there were any other sounds in the heavy forest, he couldn't hear them.

"Could you stop?" he finally said.

Serena looked confused. "Stop what?"

"You need to stop singing. We're in unfamiliar territory, and we all need to keep our eyes AND our ears open. If you're singing, no one can hear anything else."

"I wasn't singing," she replied indignantly.

"Yes, you were," John knew this was her first off-base mission, and felt he was being extremely patient.

"No, I –"

"I'll deal with this, Major," Rodney interjected, taking Serena by the arm and pulling her away.

Sheppard watched as they walked on, heads close together in conversation. Rodney's tone had not been friendly. He had hoped his mistake wouldn't affect their working relationship, but perhaps he should request that McKay be assigned to another team. He was almost afraid that would be construed as a further insult. He knew he had lost Rodney's trust – and probably his respect as well – but had no idea how to go about regaining it. He couldn't quite bring himself to even bring the subject up in order to apologize.

He tried to put it out of his mind for the time being and concentrate on the task at hand. About two hours walk from the Stargate brought them to a huge boulder the approximate size of a football field. It seemed to be a natural outcropping, but had obviously been shaped: the rounded edges of the stone were a little too perfect.

After a short search, they found Ancient runes carved into the rock face. While McKay wandered over the rock taking readings on the power signal, Sheppard and Teyla checked the perimeter and Serena took pictures of the runes.

"Find anything?" she asked McKay as he returned to where she sat in front of the rock.

"Not really. The power reading is pretty steady all over the area. Nothing to indicate a door or a source. Any luck with the runes?"

Serena sighed heavily. "I'm no linguist. This translation program Doctor Jackson wrote can tell me what each symbol means, but making sense out of it is something else entirely." She stared down at her PDA. "Wait a minute. I think…"

She rose to her knees, reached out and pressed one of the carved symbols. Without warning, a bright coruscating light shot out of the rock and enveloped McKay where he stood behind her.

TBC


	3. Bang! Crash! And the Lightning Flash!

Into the Woods

By Ellex

See chapter one for disclaimers, etc.

Chapter Three: Bang! Crash! And the Lightning Flash!

"Sheppard! Teyla!" Serena screamed their names. She scrambled to her feet, staring in dismay at the solid pillar of multicolored light that obscured the hapless scientist from view.

As Sheppard ran up to them, mouth dropping open at the sight of the light show, Serena tried to reach into it. She was immediately flung several feet away by a blinding flash. The light vanished to reveal McKay, who crashed to the ground, gasping and twitching slightly, as if he'd been shocked by a taser.

Teyla arrived and he directed her to Serena, who was sitting up and clutching her arm. John knelt beside Rodney and checked his pulse. His heart was racing, he was gasping for air, and he blinked rapidly as tears streamed down his face.

"McKay? Can you hear me? Come on, Rodney, tell me what's going on?" His heart twisted with anxiety. He didn't think he could stand to see McKay back in the infirmary again, not after the weeks of recovery last time. Maybe he should have Rodney transferred to another team, he certainly didn't seem able to keep the man safe himself…

"Uh…I…I'm okay…I think…" The stricken Canadian sucked in huge gulps of air and grabbed at John's arm. He could feel Rodney's fingers twitching in small involuntary movements, but his grasp was reassuringly firm. "Did – did I just get struck by lightning?"

"I don't know. Serena? What happened?"

"I touched one of the runes and the light just shot out – " He looked over to see her curled around her right arm, a grimace of pain twisting her face. Teyla was supporting the machinist, looking grim.

"She has been injured, Major Sheppard. It looks like a burn – or perhaps a scald. We need to return to Atlantis immediately."

"Serena?" McKay rolled over and tried to push himself up, but was still shaking so badly that it took several tries for Sheppard to help him into a sitting position.

Teyla carefully cut Serena's shirt sleeve away from her rapidly swelling arm. McKay fumbled in his pack until Sheppard took it away from his trembling hands and fished out the first aid kit. He handed gauze bandages to Teyla, who wrapped them gently around the angry red flesh, and pain relievers to Serena, who swallowed them gratefully.

"I've had better days, and it hurts like you wouldn't believe." Serena gave him a shaky smile. "Rodney, are you okay?"

Sheppard was trying to check him over for burns but McKay pushed him away. "I'll live. I may not want to in a couple of hours, but I'm sure I will anyways." He looked down at his hands. There was still a slight tremor in his fingers, and a kind of shimmery halo around everything he looked at, and he was fairly sure that the ringing in his ears would evolve into a full blown migraine before long…

Serena wasn't looking at him anymore. "Umm…I think we found the door." She pointed to the rock and they all turned to see an opening in the previously solid stone.

"We can come back another time," Sheppard said. "Next time, don't touch anything until you know what it does," he continued sharply.

McKay snorted. "Oh, and you've never touched anything without knowing exactly what it does," he muttered.

"I don't need defending, Rodney," Serena told him.

"Well, excuse me for thinking you did."

"I don't! Why do you always have to – "

"Enough!" Teyla cried. "This is not helping."

Serena took a deep breath. "Could we just sit for a few minutes? We've been walking for hours already. Major, you could take a quick look inside and then we'll know if we should come back again."

"That's an excellent idea," McKay announced. "There's no point in making the trip again if we don't have to. Maybe we'll find out just what that – whatever hit us – was."

"Rodney, you should - "

"I'm fine, Major," he snapped. "I'm sure Carson will be all over me when we get back, but I feel fine. Right now I want to have a look in there."

John held out his hand to help Rodney up, but the scientist ignored it and stood easily. Whatever that light had done to him, the effects were wearing off quickly and he felt almost normal.

"Alright then. We'll be back in fifteen minutes." Sheppard said.

As the two men entered the structure, a dim blue light began to glow behind the interior walls, illuminating a room that looked much like the Ancient outpost in Antarctica, complete with the chair on a dais in the center of the huge room. But the floor was cracked and uneven, littered with fallen chunks of ceiling and walls.

"It looks like the ground has shifted. Even the Ancients couldn't build to withstand seismic activity," Rodney said quietly.

They carefully picked their way through the debris to a control panel that was listing at nearly a forty-five degree angle. McKay touched the controls to no effect, while Sheppard sat gingerly in the chair. An ominous creaking issued from the ceiling and the lights flickered wildly. He quickly slid off the chair and said, "I think we'd better get out of here before this place falls down around our ears."

They emerged into the sunlight to find Serena standing up and Teyla examining something in the underbrush.

"Major Sheppard! Look at this." She pointed to a familiar-looking metal device lying in the dirt. A small round light in the middle of it pulsed alternately blue and red.

"It looks like a Wraith signal device. It's set in a direct line with that door. I think perhaps it is meant to tell them when the door has been opened."

"Which means," Rodney said sourly, "that the Wraith are probably on their way here right now."

TBC


	4. Secrets That I Never Want to Know

Into the Woods

Chapter Four: Secrets That I Never Want to Know

They had been hiking as quickly as the uneven terrain allowed for nearly an hour when Serena stopped in her tracks and said wearily, "I have to rest."

Sheppard halted and McKay almost walked into him. John reached out to steady him and McKay froze then deliberately stepped away.

"You think you can make it the rest of the way back to the 'gate? I could go on ahead and bring the Puddle Jumper through," Sheppard asked Serena.

"And land it where?" Rodney snapped. "I think it's better we get back to Atlantis as soon as possible. Before the Wraith come."

"I just need to sit down for a few minutes. This is more walking than I've done in some time, " Serena said.

Sheppard agreed to a ten minute rest. They sat, sipping water from their canteens and chewing protein bars in an uncomfortable silence.

"So why do you call him 'Bear'?" Sheppard found himself asking after a few minutes. He knew he was asking just in the hopes of embarrassing McKay, and indeed a light flush colored the scientist's cheek.

Serena's gaze slid tiredly from him to Rodney, who glanced at him with what looked like a trace of actual maliciousness.

"You might as well tell him. He'll just pester you until you do," Rodney told her.

She grinned at him, and he smiled back, and John felt a stab of jealousy. Whatever their relationship was, it was close enough for each to know what the other was thinking fairly often. She even had a pet name for him, for Pete's sake!

"Years ago I gave him this T-shirt with a picture of a snarling grizzly bear on the front. On the back it said 'I'm a bear until I've had my coffee.' Which is true. I learned pretty quickly not to speak to him until after his first cup."

"As I recall, you're not much of a morning person yourself," McKay snarked.

"I'm a kitten compared to you, "she shot back with the ease of long familiarity.

"I know – you've used me for a scratching post often enough."

Serena's laugh turned into a groan when she unintentionally jarred her arm. Teyla moved quickly to her side and checked the bandages.

"I thought you met in Antarctica," Sheppard said quietly to Rodney.

"No, I've known Serena for about nine years."

The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Does she kiss better than I do?"

The silence between them stretched out uncomfortably before Rodney replied, "Yes. At least, she's never threatened violence after kissing me, only sex."

Sheppard felt his face turn red. "That's a little more than just good friends."

"You asked. You got your answer," McKay said shortly. "The rest is none of your business."

Teyla looked at McKay, then at Sheppard, obviously puzzled by the growing antagonism between them. "Perhaps we should resume our journey back to the Stargate? The light is beginning to fade."

At that moment a blood-curdling howl sounded in the woods behind them.

TBC


	5. The Mouth of a Wolf's Not the End of the...

Into the Woods

By Ellex

Chapter 5: The Mouth of a Wolf's Not the End of the World

More howls arose from the forest around them. Sheppard started towards Serena but McKay got there first, pulling her to her feet by her uninjured hand and supported her when she swayed with fatigue.

"Whatever that is, I don't like the sound of it. Do you think you can manage to run for a bit?" Sheppard asked Serena.

"Do I have a choice?"

"McKay?"

He received a glare from the scientist. "I'm fine. I told you before. Now let's get going instead of standing around asking stupid questions while whatever's howling gets closer."

They started back toward the Stargate at a faster pace than before.

They ran in silence, spurred on by the sounds from the forest around them. A crashing came from the underbrush behind them, the sound of several fairly large somethings in pursuit. Sheppard dropped back from his position on point to bring up the rear of the party. He glanced behind him frequently and finally spotted a pair of glowing eyes in the deepening twilight.

A moment later something large, heavy and furred pounced on him. He rolled with the impact, hearing the fabric of his jacket tear and a searing pain as sharp teeth clamped onto his arm. He shoved the muzzle of his P-90 into the snarling form and pulled the trigger.

There was a yelp and the creature scrambled off him, its claws shredding his thigh as it struggled to get away. Teyla fired a few more shots at it, and the thing stopped moving.

Another creature bounded out of the darkness aiming for McKay, but stopped short of it's intended prey, whining and sniffing the air. It turned from him and snarled at Teyla, who shot it point blank between the eyes.

John lay there, trying to get his breath back. Within the circle of light cast by their flashlights he could see McKay and Teyla holding their sidearms ready, scanning the forest around them.

"What the HELL was that?!" Serena was staring wide-eyed into the darkness. "First I'm in an underwater city that's about to be drowned, then there's an intangible shadow that electrocutes people, then there's a hurricane that covers half the planet, then – "

"Quit it!" Rodney hissed at her. "That's not helping."

She stopped abruptly, then gave a shaky laugh. "You're right. I sound just like you."

He ignored her and knelt beside Sheppard, quickly examining his arm and thigh. "Just scratches," he lied with a tight smile as he applied antiseptic ointment and then bandaged them. John could see his hands shaking slightly. Rodney's face was white with fear, the blue of his eyes a thin ring around pupils dilated by the dim light, but he kept his mouth shut until he was finished. "I'd do a more thorough job on these, but I think you'll agree that getting out of here comes first."

"Hopefully the dead ones will distract the others," Teyla said, looking with distaste at the thing on the ground that vaguely resembled a wolf-sized iguana with fur.

McKay hauled Sheppard to his feet and they set off again, but Serena was exhausted and Sheppard began to limp heavily after only fifteen minutes. A few minutes later, they heard loud snarls from behind them as the other creatures found their fallen fellow.

It wasn't much further to the Stargate, but what awaited them there was worse than the creatures behind them.

TBC


	6. One Midnight Gone

Into the Woods

By Ellex

Chapter 6: One Midnight Gone

They were incredibly lucky, and Sheppard knew it.

In the darkness, the Wraith around the Stargate didn't notice them. Moving as silently as possible, they regained the cover of the forest. But the howling from behind them was getting nearer, and it was Teyla who came up with the bright idea of climbing into one of the huge trees.

It was made twice as difficult by Serena and Sheppard's injuries and the fact that it was so dark they could hardly see their hands in front of their faces, much less the tree branches. They also needed to climb a tree close enough to the Stargate so that they could see when the coast was clear, but climb as silently as possible so as not to alert the Wraith to their presence.

There was a sudden commotion from below as several of the lizard-wolves reached the clearing and tried to attack the Wraith. Their stunners barely slowed the creatures down, and two pounced on one of the Wraith and mauled him before they were pulled off him by his comrades. More howls from the forest distracted the creatures, which lost interest in the Wraith and vanished into the surrounding forest.

The injured Wraith, to the surprise of the Atlantis team, did not recover from his injuries. In fact, he seemed to deteriorate fairly quickly, and after a while lay there apparently dead, ignored by the other Wraith.

"Damn, we could use guard dogs like that," Serena whispered.

Sheppard grimaced. "I don't think so. How would you keep them from attacking us?"

A few hours later, the Wraith still showed no sign of leaving the area around the Stargate – in fact, they seemed to be waiting for something, and Sheppard had a bad feeling that what they were waiting for was more Wraith. In the meantime, the night was passing quickly and he didn't think their position in the tree would be quite so concealed in daylight.

It didn't help that Serena's arm had developed into a mass of oozing blisters, and the mild painkillers in the first aid kit were barely effective against the pain. His own scratches burned fiercely, and he could feel fatigue nipping at the edges of his mind.

"McKay," he murmured. The scientist looked up from his position on the next branch, where he was supporting Serena, who had dozed off from sheer exhaustion.

"What is it, Major?" Rodney asked wearily.

"I want you and Teyla to return to that Ancient building. Maybe you can find something to help us, or even repair the chair."

"Are you insane? The place was a ruin. Not to mention we'd probably be attacked by those things again on the way there."

John clamped down on his frustration. "Well, it's better than sitting here waiting for the sun to rise and the Wraith to notice us! Serena can't go anywhere, and frankly I'm not sure I'd get too far myself. But you and Teyla aren't hurt. You might not find anything to help, but at least you'd get away from the Wraith."

Teyla spoke up. "Major Sheppard is right. When dawn comes, the Wraith will spot us here. Perhaps at the Ancient's structure we can make some kind of diversion and lure them away from the Stargate."

"And then you and I slip around them and return here, and away we go back to Atlantis. But what about those Komodo wolves?" Rodney asked.

Sheppard snorted. "'Komodo wolves'? Have you been taking lessons from Ford in naming things?" He sighed. "I seem to recall that they weren't too interested in going after you, McKay. And you'll have Teyla to protect you."

That last remark was unfair and he knew it, but it just … slipped out. The silence that followed was incredibly uncomfortable, and he could almost feel Teyla's disapproving gaze.

"I didn't mean – "

Rodney cut him off. "Teyla should remain here. As you said, you and Serena aren't in any shape to go far. And I'm sure your assessment of those creatures is accurate. They must find soldier much more attractive to the palate than scientist."

"McKay - wait! Dammit, Rodney – "

"Stay with them, Teyla. If the Wraith leave the Stargate, take them to Atlantis immediately. I'll be along as soon as I can," Rodney stared hard at Teyla as he said this, and after a moment she nodded her acceptance of the instructions. She moved to take his place supporting Serena.

"What – Rodney, you idiot – Teyla, go with him!" Sheppard was furious. Rodney ignored him and began climbing down the tree.

The Athosian shook her head gravely. "Doctor McKay is right. Serena is becoming very ill, and you are nearing the end of your strength. I should stay with you." She paused, then said firmly, "I have no doubt of Doctor McKay's ability to return safely through the forest to the Ancient's building. He will do everything he can to help us."

TBC


	7. Why You Do What You Do

Into the Woods

By Ellex

Chapter Seven: Why You Do What You Do

"What did you do to him?"

Sheppard looked up from his contemplation of his P-90 to meet Serena's wondering gaze. There was no accusation in her tone, but he interpreted it as one.

"Do to him? What do you mean, 'do to him'?" He felt a sudden flare of panic. Had McKay told her…

"He's not the man who stepped through the Stargate from Earth. I've known Rodney for a long time, and this is totally unlike him. He's always been the last person to volunteer to do anything dangerous. He's changed. And I've noticed the way he looks at you. So I'm asking – what did you do to him?"

Teyla answered while John was stuck on 'the way he looks at you'. "Doctor McKay has changed since I met him. I believe his experiences since leaving Earth have matured him, and that is not Major Sheppard's doing." She turned to face John. "But of late, there is some tension between the two of you, and that has made a further change. I do not wish to pry, but I fear it may affect us as a team. Major, did you and the Doctor have a disagreement?"

"No!" He knew his reply was too fast, too vehement, and looked away from the searching gazes of the women.

Damn them! he thought. Trust a woman to be nosy…

That wasn't fair and he knew it, as well as he knew that the growing antipathy between himself and the snarky scientist was affecting his judgment.

"What about you two?" he flung at Serena. The best defense was a good offense, he thought smugly, even though he realized it was only a delaying tactic. "What's with the – the singing, and the in-jokes, and the pet names, huh? I know you're more than 'just good friends'!"

For a moment Serena just sat there, mouth hanging open in surprise.

"We're just good friends now," she said slowly. "But we used to be more than that. We used to be married."

TBC


	8. One Peculiar Passing Moment

Chapter Eight: One Peculiar Passing Moment

Despite his weariness, Rodney forced himself to go as quickly as possible in the dark forest. His breath burned in his lungs, and his ears were ringing again. The shock he had received from the strange light at the ruined Ancient outpost seemed like weeks ago rather than hours.

He stumbled over a tree root and stopped, hands on his knees, gasping for air. As soon as the stitch in his side abated, he would go on, he told himself.

His head snapped up when a growl sounded from the darkness ahead of him. Fumbling with the P-90, he belatedly aimed at the huge beast that paced toward him. But the creature circled around him, never taking its eyes off him until the darkness swallowed it up again.

"What was that?" Rodney asked the night in disbelief, trying to still the shaking in his hands. It seemed Sheppard was right – the 'Komodo wolves' weren't interested in him. He shook his head and started off again.

TBC


	9. People Make Mistakes

Chapter Nine: People Make Mistakes

Married. They used to be married. This woman was once Rodney's wife.

It had never occurred to him that the man whose social skills were so infamously poor could ever have been married.

His anger flared up. "Then why didn't you try to stop him?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice down with difficulty.

"Do you really think I could have stopped him? Besides, he and Teyla were right. Someone needed to stay with us." She paused. "You're bleeding again, Major."

John was startled – he'd nearly forgotten about the bite, but now that his attention was directed to it, the entire arm throbbed with a vengeance. The bandage was saturated with blood and starting to drip. He felt suddenly dizzy and sick, and leaned into the tree trunk.

Teyla moved from her perch beside Serena to cut his shredded sleeve off and bind his arm tightly with it. He distracted himself by keeping his eyes on Serena.

"You're his wife," he whispered, unaware he was speaking out loud.

"Ex-wife." She shrugged, then winced when the movement jostled her arm. "We were young and stupid. We thought friendship and good sex would be enough. It wasn't; not for either of us. We got a divorce after about a year and a half." She sighed. "He doesn't like to talk about it. He sees it as a failure. I had a hard time convincing him that I still wanted to be his friend, even though the separation was a mutual decision."

He sat and thought about that for a while, waiting for the ache in his arm to subside. "Please tell us, Major, what has happened between you and Doctor McKay?" Teyla asked. "Perhaps we can help. We are your friends as well as his."

"I don't –" He caught the warning expression on Teyla's face and stopped. What more did he have to lose at this point? "I – I'm jealous."

There, he'd said it, and it felt like a weight had dropped from his shoulders. "I'm jealous of you, Serena – of how close you and McKay are. But it's not just that. I did something I shouldn't have. And then I … I threatened to hurt Rodney if he said anything…"

Serena's expression was carefully neutral. "What did you do, John?"

He had to take several deep breaths before he could say it.

"I kissed him."

TBC


	10. Opportunity Is Not a Lengthy Visitor

Chapter Ten: Opportunity is Not a Lengthy Visitor

There were two Wraith guarding the open door in the rock face. McKay crouched in the underbrush, mind racing.

"What would Sheppard do?" he asked himself silently. "Barge in with guns blazing, of course. Alright, what would – say, Clint Eastwood do? Not Dirty Harry, but in one of those spaghetti westerns."

The answer came to him almost immediately. He searched the ground around himself until he came up with a handful of small stones. As hard as he could, he threw them into the forest to his left.

The rocks made a satisfyingly loud clatter against the trees, and the Wraith guards went to investigate.

"It worked. I can't believe it worked." Rodney just knelt there in amazement for a moment, then goaded himself into action, slipping out of the concealing trees and through the door.

Once inside, he frantically examined the walls beside the door, searching for a way to close it. Finding a familiar looking panel, he tore off the cover and moved the crystals inside, heaving a sigh of relief when the door slid shut. He removed the crystals just before a heavy pounding came from the other side.

Desperately hoping the door would hold and the Wraith wouldn't be able to figure out a way to open it from the outside, Rodney swept the flashlight on his P-90 around the rubble-strewn chamber.

He knew from his earlier examination that the main control console was a complete loss. But perhaps he could use the few intact pieces from it to get the chair operational…

TBC


	11. And Did I Kiss Him Back?

Chapter Eleven: And Did I Kiss Him Back?

Serena's jaw dropped. "You…you kissed...and then…"

Teyla's face showed no disapproval or disgust, only puzzlement. "This is – a bad thing among your people?"

"Well, it's not generally accepted. Especially not in the military. But I'm not – I don't – I'm not attracted to guys, Teyla. I like girls – women. I don't know why I kissed him. He's my friend – " He stopped abruptly, then continued slowly, miserably, "he was my friend. I'm afraid I've lost that. All because of a moment of weakness."

"As for the why…is that not obvious? The attraction is there, whether you will it or not. I believe that it was, until recently, mutual. And I think, John, that it was the threat of violence that damaged your friendship, not the kiss."

"Mutual? No, I'm sure he doesn't…he's not interested in me that way. And – doesn't he know I'd never hurt him? I was just upset, I didn't mean it."

Serena finally got over her shock. "Rodney would take your threat seriously. He's not good at telling when people say things they don't really mean. And he is interested in you that way, you idiot. Not only is he bisexual, I know he likes and admires you."

Sheppard gave her a 'deer in the headlights' look, and Serena groaned. "You didn't know he's bisexual, did you? And I don't think he wanted you to know I'm his ex. I've let a lot of cats out of the bag today, haven't I?"

"Look, I – I care for Rodney, I really do, but I don't know if I can handle this. I don't have a problem with him being bisexual, but I think I have some problems with me being…well, being with a man."

Teyla looked thoughtful. "Among my people, while pairings between opposite sexes are encouraged, we accept pairings between two people of the same gender. Such couples often adopt children who have lost their parents to the Wraith, so that those who have children of their own are not overburdened."

Sheppard sighed. "I've seen what can happen to gays – to men who have relations with other men - if they're found out. A lot of people really hate the concept of same-sex relationships. They get violent about it. I've seen it happen before. People I considered friends got hurt – badly."

For a moment she seemed lost in thought, then said, "You are very far from home, John Sheppard. I think you may find that the people you came to Atlantis with may be more accepting than those you left behind."

TBC


	12. No Reason Then to Hesitate

Chapter Twelve: No Reason Then to Hesitate

Sheppard's radio crackled and he grabbed it.

"Major? Are you there?"

"McKay!" A wave of relief washed over him at the sound of the scientist's voice. "Where are you?"

"Where do you think? Look, I have no idea if I can get anything to work in here, much less create the kind of distraction you'll need to get to the Stargate. So you need to be prepared to move quickly if anything happens."

John could hear an intermittent pounding in the background of the transmission. "McKay, what's that noise?"

"Oh, that? That's the sound of a couple of Wraith trying to get in. Major, it's almost dawn. You just worry about getting through to Atlantis so you can put together a team to come back and get me."

"Listen, Rodney – are you okay? You didn't – "

He was interrupted before he could finish.

"I'm fine, Major. Now let me get back to work."

Rodney stood in the center of the huge room and turned in a slow circle, searching for anything that didn't look completely broken.

The open-plan maze reminded him of the Antarctica base, though it was hard to tell how similar they really were since most of the interior walls had fallen.

He'd already looked over the chair, which was a total write-off. A few intact crystals could be salvaged from some of the control consoles, but he didn't see anything else he could use. He closed his eyes for a moment, fighting off panic and despair.

"You can do this, Rodney," he whispered to himself. "They're depending on you."

He moved to the nearest control console and knelt in the rubble to pry off the front panel. If he could collect enough crystals, perhaps he could get the controls to work.

The debris under his knee shifted, and he lost his balance and sat down hard. Swearing under his breath, he picked up the dusty chunk of Ancient building material, intending to toss it away.

The smooth texture of the object stopped him, and he wiped the dust off with his shirt-tail. Under the dirt and grime it was about the size of his two fists and shaped like a cone with the point cut off. The base had an odd pattern of silvery striations etched in the pale blue metallic substance. The flattened top bore a few marks in the script of the Ancients.

He hadn't exactly learned to read Ancient, but he was beginning to recognize some of the symbols through constant repetition, and there were two here that he was familiar with. One meant 'thought' and indicated that the user required the ATA gene to operate something. The other seemed to mean 'chest' or 'heart' and usually meant that, like the personal shield device, it should be worn or held in the middle of the chest.

Something like that personal shield device would be very useful. He held it to his breastbone and tried to flex that elusive mental muscle that seemed to tie in with the ATA gene.

Nothing happened. He clamped down on his frustration and channeled it into greater concentration.

When the object began to glow and emit a soft hum, he hardly noticed, he was so deeply focused. His hand fell slowly away, the device remaining in position on his chest. As the glow increased his eyes slid shut, and a moment later his body slumped to the floor as the device became fully activated.

TBC


	13. What Even Worse is Still in Store?

Into the Woods

By Ellex

See first chapter for disclaimers, etc.

Chapter Thirteen: What Even Worse is Still in Store?

Rodney was not alone in his head.

He'd never realized before how much he valued the privacy of his own mind. He had always been alone there, until now, and he was trying very hard not to freak out about it.

It helped that the other presence remained calm in the face of Rodney's incipient panic. It didn't seem to be particularly intelligent, because all he could feel from it was mild curiosity and a jumble of impressions which slowly resolved into a picture in his mind.

It was like looking through someone else's eyes. They were moving through the forest, following a smoky thread of bright yellow that meandered from ground to brush, to an occasional spot on a tree trunk. Other lines in a variety of colors overlay the forest floor in a tangled web, but they were following the yellow one, and the presence in his mind – which seemed to be as aware of him as he was of it – wordlessly informed him that the bright thread belonged to him.

And suddenly he knew what was happening, what he was seeing, what the device did.

And he hated it.

One of the things he loved about Ancient technology was that, once you'd figured it out, it made sense.

Except sometimes it didn't. Like the whole ATA gene thing. Having to think at things to make them work, instead of just pushing a button, what a stupid idea! He wanted things to be black and white, yes or no, zero or one…he wanted things to be quantifiable, and this most definitely was not.

Because what he was seeing was a scent trail.

That understanding was apparently the key to accessing the device, and it seemed to open within his mind, so that he could see exactly what it was for – and what he could do with it.

Now he knew how he could get rid of the Wraith so his team could get back to Atlantis. He should even be able to get himself home without difficulty if he just moved quickly.

And that was when the world exploded around him.

The conversation hadn't continued after McKay's transmission. Sheppard had a lot to think about, Teyla was watching the Wraith closely, and Serena was trying to stay awake. The sky was beginning to brighten with the first hint of dawn.

They hadn't been waiting more than twenty minutes when howls erupted from the surrounding forest. The Komodo wolves were back, and in force.

They made straight for the Wraith and attacked savagely and with intent. This time, instead of becoming distracted, the entire pack, some fifteen animals strong, remained and continued to attack. The Wraith fought back by grabbing the creatures and hurling them bodily away, but the pack was too large and it wasn't long before all six Wraith were overcome and torn to pieces.

The Komodo wolves disappeared back into the forest as quickly as they had come.

"Do you think that was Rodney's distraction?" Serena asked.

"I don't see how it could be, but we ought to take advantage of it anyways." Sheppard pulled out his radio. "McKay? McKay, come in. The 'gate is clear. I repeat, the Stargate is clear. Was that you, Rodney?"

There was no response. Sheppard frowned and checked the frequency. "McKay? Rodney! Are you there?"

Still nothing. Sheppard fought to remain calm, but it was a battle he was quickly losing. "Rodney!" he shouted into the radio. "McKay, respond!"

A crackle of static answered him this time, then a sudden eerie silence. He stared at the radio and almost dropped it when an oddly wet gasp issued from it, followed by Rodney's voice, hoarse and strained.

"Shep…" he heard, then static again.

"McKay, what's happening? What's wrong? The Wraith are dead, Rodney, what did you do?" They waited several tense seconds before the reply finally came.

"…safe now…go home…"

"Where are you? Are you still at the Ancient outpost? We'll send a team back for you, Rodney."

McKay's answer left him cold with dread.

"…broken…can't help me…"

"Rodney…what's broken?" Sheppard asked quietly. He couldn't look at Teyla and Serena's worried faces, so he watched the Stargate.

"…me…"

For a moment, he couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. Teyla took the radio from his numb fingers.

"Doctor McKay, you will be alright. We will come back with a Puddle Jumper and Doctor Beckett. Now tell us, what happened? Are you still at the Ancient's site?"

"…think so…not important…s'okay, Teyla…look…on the bright…side…"

"The bright side?" Teyla asked, confused.

"…doesn't hurt…John…" the voice was getting weaker. "…if this…is dying…" there was a long pause, then "s'not so bad…"

Sheppard found the horror he was feeling reflected on Serena and Teyla's faces. Then the voice of their friend issued from the radio once more.

"…jus'…wanna say…take care…each other…"

TBC

A/N: Yes, I know, another evil cliffhanger. And I can't even promise that the next chapter will be posted tomorrow! But I'm doing my best, and remember that I love happy endings…


	14. Nothing's Quite So Clear Now

Into the Woods

Chapter Fourteen: Nothing's Quite So Clear Now

Teyla took charge, for which John was grateful. She got them out of the tree and over to the Stargate, dialed Atlantis and pushed them through. She explained the situation to Weir in short, succinct phrases, then instructed Markham and two other soldiers to return through the Stargate with C4 to clear some of the trees so the Puddle Jumper could get through. He watched her calm efficiency through a haze of almost crippling anxiety.

Before he could voice his intention to return with the rescue team, he and Serena were being hustled off to the infirmary by a couple of nurses. He broke away from the medics and stalked back to the 'gate, swearing loudly.

At a nod from Carson, who was loading a backboard into the Jumper that Stackhouse had already brought down to hover in front of the Stargate, the medics caught him and he felt the prick of a needle in his arm. A moment later, a warmth seemed to flood his veins and he forgot why he wanted to go back…

"Now that's settled, let's get a move on," Carson told Teyla as they watched the pliant, semi-conscious Major being guided in the direction of the infirmary.

As soon as Markham radioed back to tell them that the Puddle Jumper could clear the other side of the Stargate, they left, with Stackhouse piloting, Teyla to guide them, Beckett and his assistant Doctor Allingham in the back with the emergency medical kit. They stopped briefly to pick up Markham's team and sped on. The hike of several hours took only minutes in the Puddle Jumper.

The scene of destruction that awaited them made Teyla's heart sink. A large area around the door of the Ancient outpost was now nothing but rubble and broken support beams, and most of the huge rock seemed to have cracked and sunk into the ground.

"Dear God," Carson breathed as Stackhouse set the Jumper down as close as he could. "Rodney was in this?"

"I believe so, Doctor Beckett," Teyla replied. She fought back her tears – they wouldn't help right now. "We must be cautious, he said there was Wraith outside the door."

The soldiers exited the Jumper first, and after a brief search spotted two Wraith bodies, torn and savaged and extremely dead.

A wet, rattling sound caught their attention as they picked their way through the ruined structure. Teyla found it's source first, and beckoned the others to her.

Rodney had been partially shielded by a shattered control console, but still lay trapped under a mound of debris. He breathed in shallow, choking gasps, blood bubbling from his mouth. The radio lay next to his right hand, which he had somehow managed to free, although the skin was badly scraped. His eyes were open, and when Carson knelt beside him and felt for his pulse, he flinched.

"Rodney?" Beckett asked gently as the others began to carefully unearth him. "Can you hear me?"

"Cars-" he began, and choked. A bloody froth spilled over his lips.

"Hurry!" Carson ordered, pulling equipment from his pack. Before long, they had cleared the debris and he had the injured man hooked up to an IV. They carefully lifted him so Carson could slide the backboard underneath. As soon as Rodney was strapped down, they loaded him into the Puddle Jumper and took off.

He was supposed to be somewhere. There was something extremely important that he was supposed to be doing, but he couldn't recall what it was. Something about finding…someone. Finding…Rodney. He needed to find Rodney, needed to rescue…

Sheppard sat straight up in the infirmary bed, and nearly fell right back down as a stabbing pain caught him behind the eyes. He closed them against the bright lights and raised his hands to cradle his throbbing head…or rather, raised one hand, since the arm that had been bitten so many hours before was strapped to his chest.

"Water?"

He looked up to find Serena sitting beside his bed. He was in the infirmary. Again.

"Do you want some water?" she asked again.

He tried to speak, found his mouth dry and gritty, and accepted the glass she awkwardly offered with her left hand. Her right arm was bandaged and she held it carefully away from her body.

"Where's Rodney?" he asked as soon as he found his voice. "Is he – "

She smiled, but looked like she might burst into tears at any moment. "He's alive. Beckett and Allingham have had him in surgery for hours, but they said they think he'll pull through."

All the strength seemed to drain out of him, and he couldn't sit upright any longer. He fell back against the pillow and the throbbing in his head receded.

"You're sure?" She nodded. "What happened?"

"They aren't sure. Teyla said the outpost looks like a bomb went off somewhere near the door. The rock collapsed on top of him. He had internal bleeding, a broken collarbone and broken ribs. One of his lungs collapsed. Beckett said it could have been a lot worse. He escaped the full force of the explosion. There were two more Wraith there, but they were dead. And not from the explosion, whatever caused it. They looked like the ones at the Stargate after Rodney's Komodo wolves got them."

"But he's going to be okay?" John desperately needed that reassurance.

She nodded. "He was still conscious when they found him. Beckett said that's a good sign."

A few minutes later, when they had both regained their composure, she said firmly, "He's changed a lot since he met you. He's not the man I married…or the one I divorced. I used to think we might try again some day, but I don't think that's possible anymore. I hope you figure out what you feel for Rodney, Major Sheppard. I don't want to see him hurt."

"Do you…" he wasn't sure he even knew what he wanted to ask, much less what he wanted to do. "Do you think I have a chance? With him, I mean?"

"I think so. I even kind of hope so." She left, and he closed his eyes to ponder that possibility. A chance…with Rodney. Was that really what he wanted?

TBC


	15. Happy Ever After?

Into the Woods

Chapter Fifteen: Happy Ever After?

Rodney stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He regarded the ceiling dully, then slid his gaze over to meet John's.

After a moment he said weakly, "Again?"

"Yes, you're in the infirmary again," Sheppard replied quietly, then exploded, "Damnit, Rodney, what were you thinking? Of all the stupid, idiotic stunts – "

The scientist flinched, then sat halfway up and snapped, "Don't yell at me!" before falling back, white-faced and gasping.

Alarmed, John ran to the door and yelled for Beckett, who took one look at Rodney and placed an oxygen mask over his face.

"Out," Beckett ordered over his shoulder.

Sheppard backed away reluctantly, lingering in the doorway. What the hell was wrong with him? He hadn't intended to yell at Rodney, it was just – he had been so scared. The entire mission had been a fiasco, and if not for Rodney they would all be food for either the Wraith or Rodney's Komodo wolves. He didn't know what he felt, or what he wanted…all he knew for sure was that he had been more frightened than ever before in his life, and he didn't think he could handle it if Rodney had died. And fear turned so naturally into anger…anger was manageable, it was familiar and comforting, because if he could be angry at Rodney then he didn't have to admit to feeling anything else.

Rodney stared at Carson with panic-stricken eyes as he struggled to draw in air, then looked past him at John. He reached out a trembling hand toward Sheppard, who was back beside the bed in an instant, ignoring Beckett's cry of protest. He clutched Rodney's hand in both of his own, whispering, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," over and over again.

John sighed deeply and turned away from his position at Rodney's side, where the scientist was finally sleeping peacefully. He was unsurprised to find Beckett in the doorway watching him. He gave the doctor a weary smile, which was returned with equal weariness.

"You and Rodney have become quite close, haven't you?" the Scotsman asked quietly.

Hadn't he had a similar conversation with Serena and Teyla just days before? "Yeah. At least, I'd like to think so." He gave Beckett a searching look, but without apprehension. The doctor had been witness to a number of tender scenes in the infirmary, both this time and the previous, and had been extremely discreet and nonjudgmental as soon as he was sure that Rodney was amenable to Sheppard's almost constant presence.

"Did you get the whole story out of him? I mean, about what happened back there on P4X…whatever it was called?" Carson asked as they headed for his office.

"He was a little fuzzy on the details, but…it turns out that device he found allows the user to communicate with the 'Komodo wolves' – you know, I really hate that name but I guess we're stuck with it now. The light that shocked him and burned Serena was intended to change a person's scent so that the wolves wouldn't attack them. It worked, but it was intended to be used on the Ancients, and I guess we aren't quite compatible with that piece of technology.

"At any rate, it seems the wolves are immune to the Wraith, so they don't normally pay much attention to them. They went after us because we smelled like food to them. Rodney was able to instruct them to attack the Wraith, and believe me, they were very effective. But there were two Wraith at the Ancient outpost, and he thinks they had some kind of explosive that they used to blast the door open. He managed to call a couple more wolves to kill them off before they got to him."

Carson looked alarmed. "I hope you're not thinking of bringing those creatures back here to use on the Wraith."

"No," he firmly, "the device was broken when the ceiling fell in on Rodney. And I'm not too fond of them either." He rubbed at the bandage covering the bite on his arm.

"So, Major, what are you going to do about Rodney?"

John looked up, startled. "What do you mean?"

"Don't play the fool with me. It's obvious enough. And Rodney's my friend. He may be arrogant, opinionated and rude, but he's still my friend. I'd like to know what your intentions are. I'd rather not see him get hurt." The usually mild-mannered physician glared at him.

"You're not the first person to say that to me." He rubbed a hand over his face. "I don't want to hurt him, Carson. I'm just having trouble with the – the concept. With me being…gay."

Beckett looked thoughtful. "Why don't you just tell Rodney how you feel? Tell him what's bothering you. At least then you'd have put your cards on the table. What happens after that…is up to you. Both of you."

Beckett left to check on his other patients, and John sat in his office for a while, lost in thought.

Could it actually be that simple? Just tell Rodney…what he felt? Well, not really that simple, because he wasn't completely sure what he felt…just that he liked Rodney. Liked his company, liked spending time with him. That when Rodney was hurt or in danger, it felt like he was falling apart. And he couldn't work that way, it was crippling his command. Maybe if he got it out in the open, if he wasn't tiptoeing around the subject and confusing both Rodney and himself, it wouldn't be so hard. He'd be able to think, to make the tough decisions, if he wasn't so busy agonizing over his emotions.

It would be hard. Talking to Rodney like that would be very hard. And it would be a relief, too. He already felt better now that he had made the decision.

He _had_ made the decision. He would tell Rodney how he felt. He had no idea what he was going to say, but he'd figure it out when the time came.

Finis

A/N: Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed this. It really encouraged me to keep going. There will be a sequel...but it may take a while, so please be patient.


End file.
